The Mizzou Football Family Covenant

February 25, 2015

“All individual goals and accomplishments are secondary to the family’s success.” – Mizzou Family Covenant

A covenant is an agreement that binds people together. For the Mizzou Football Family, an agreement means total commitment. You are either 100 percent in, or you are out. There is no such thing as life in between.

While the rules may sound harsh, they help develop family bond among brothers who are committed to each other and overall success. A strong family unit requires care, time, and dedication. In order to nurture this type of environment at Mizzou, every player and coach must give 100 percent effort to the program.

The Mizzou Family Covenant is based on the standards and practices necessary to win a championship, as well as standards to better each player as a leader off of the field.

The quote above says, “All individual goals are secondary to the family’s success.” These words apply to the goals and standards of the Mizzou Football Family.In order to achieve team success, your desires must be secondary to the team’s goals. Just like in a literal family unit, you must be flexible and aware of your family’s needs. If teammates cannot sacrifice their schedules and comfort for the family, they will not be able to contribute to the team’s success.

Here are the standards that constitute the Mizzou Football Family Covenant:

You are committed to excellence, not only as an athlete, but also as a student-athlete. Your success and achievements are for the family.

All individual goals and accomplishments are secondary to the family’s success. Jealousy, selfishness, and individualism are extremely destructive to the family.

You will abide by family policy, rules, and regulations (or this place might not be for you).

You will not participate in any cliques or segmented groups that destroy the family concept and unity. We must support all family members at all times.

A Missouri Tiger football player gives his all—all the time. He never gives up and he never gives in.

You must have a winning attitude.

In a family, rules are in place in order to foster trust, care, and responsibility. A great organization does not thrive without standards, and a family cannot flourish without strong bonds and clear expectations. The Mizzou Football Family finds true Tigers through commitment to the program. When a player upholds these standards, he is meant to be a member of the team.

How do you know when you are giving your full effort to the family’s success? Here are some identifiers:

Teammate trust: Can your teammates trust you? Communication between players and coaches is crucial. When you have effective communication, you build trust, which produces relationship and accountability.

Commitment to the Player Development Program: True Tigers are enthusiastic competitors. They know their assignments and know how to complete the task at hand in an effective manner.

Family care: You must care about winning and make personal sacrifices so that your family can win. It is not easy to be selfless. If it were, everyone on every team would be doing it.

Above all, Tigers know that being a part of the family is a privilege, not a right. Their commitment to the Missouri Family Covenant means time and self-sacrifice, and they are willing to do it all for the family.